Photographs and Review by Christa Rae Settle.
Imagine Dragons is one of the best live bands. Ever. No exaggeration. The energy that this rock band has is revered. This is the second time we covered Imagine Dragons on our blog and there are not many live shows that compare to Imagine Dragons live. Not only is their music catchy, but their lyrics inspire all of their fans and listeners and it unites us all. Usually at concerts attendees are on their cell phones, most taking photos and videos for Instagram, but some are just texting away not watching the show they paid to see. At Imagine Dragons concerts, I see very few people with cell phones in the air. Instead, it’s just their hands, swaying to the music, mirroring what lead singer Dan Reynolds does with his hands.
All of the band members interact well with the crowd, especially Dan. The way he looks at the crowd as they sing with him is so moving – it’s as if the crowd is fueling his energy on stage. The most powerful part of the show was when the sold out crowd at Merriweather Post Pavilion all took a deep breath during that part of the song “Radioactive” and then exhaled it loudly all together at the same time.
Imagine Dragons set contained all of their top songs on their Night Visions album as well as “30 Lives” which originally released on their Imagine Dragons iTunes Session EP in May 2013.
Imagine Dragons setlist:
- Intro
- Round And Round
- Amsterdam
- Tip Toe
- Hear Me
- Cha-Ching
- Rocks
- It’s Time
- 30 Lives
- Demons
- Underdog
- On Top Of The World
- Radioactive
- Nothing Left To Say
The Neighbourhood
Indie rock band The Neighbourhood took the stage prior to Imagine Dragons. This band is climbing the charts with their hit “Sweather Weather” especially now that the song is so relevant in the fall season. The Neighborhood’s music has a very prominent moody electronic rock sound, very similar to the style of Lana Del Rey. However, their sound performance wise was a little disappointing in comparison to their recorded sound. It did not sound or feel as put together, it was a little rough. The constant “I LOVE YOU” voice recording that played over the speakers constantly as a reminder of their full length album title was a bit much. Although it probably wasn’t their best set, they still performed to please their fans in the crowd and the attendees loved their set, which is what really makes the music business go round. The Neighbourhood was formed in August 2011 of members Jesse Rutherford (vocals), Jeremy Freedman (guitar), Zach Abels (guitar), Mikey Margott (bassist) and Bryan Sammis (drums). The Neighbourhood is still climbing the charts and catching the ears of Rolling Stone very positively. They are certainly a band to watch!
The Neighbourhood setlist:
- Sweater Weather
- Female Robbery
- Everybody’s Watching Me (Uh Oh)
- Let It Go
- W.D.Y.W.F.M?
- Wires
- A Little Death
- How
- Afraid
The Envy Corps
Alternative rock band The Envy Corps started the night out with their very atmospheric pop-ish sound. The Envy Corps is composed of Brandon Darner (guitar), Micah Natera (keyboards, guitar), Luke Pettipoole (vocals, guitar, piano) and Scott Yoshimura (drums). According to the Examiner, this band is “the best band you’ve never heard of.” Which is so true. Most attendees had not heard of this band before, but was pleasantly surprised by how great they performed. The members of this band really rock out during certain parts of each song.
Cage the Elephant
These guys are great musicians and entertainers, this was my first time seeing them on such a large stage and I was so excited to hear they were going to be opening for Muse. Once they came out they were full of energy, but the one who really caught my eye was lead vocalist, Matthew Shiltz. He ran all over the stage and spent a good portion of their set crowd surfing while singing. This is a band the crowd can really feel connected to, let loose have a good time and sing along. I was lucky enough to be asked to photograph their acoustic set the next day in Baltimore, once again they impressed me, while it was a low key show for radio winners these guys were able to their personality shine though.
Muse
This was my first time seeing Muse and they blew away every exception I had coming in. Their stage was set with large monitors that made up a pyramid, the lights went dim and a video montage started. Once the montage finished the pyramid slowly raised and Muse was underneath ready to jump into their set. Once they had jumped into their set the pyramid inverted and acted as a jumbotron above the stage. I am usually skeptical of 3 piece bands, I have always said they stand at a disadvantage because usually only one member of the band is mobile and it is hard to be entertainers from behind a mic stand. Muse was able to make me forget that obstacle, they worked together so well and moved so fluently around the stage, they were able to make the whole crowd feel involved. Lead guitarist / vocalist Matthew Bellamy and Bassist, Christopher Wolstenholme took turns coming out to landing at the top of the stage and to either side of the stage. It was by far one of the best concerts I have been to in a while, I am already looking forward to their next show!
Cage the Elephant
(including acoustic set in Baltimore)
Muse
Day one of the much hyped and highly anticipated Stone Temple Pilots tour featuring Chester Bennington kicked off at the Sands Event Center this past Wednesday night in the most epic of fashions.. The evening of rock got started off with a cranked up performance by the on the rise rock veterans, Filter. The band, whose only current original member is vocalist Richard Patrick, just released a new album titled “The Sun Comes Out” this past summer. Their 9 song setlist contained a good variety of new and old songs which was great because it kept the crowd moving the whole time. The real highlight of the night came on the band’s last song “Hey man, Nice Shot” when Richard Patrick spent the entirety of the song amongst the fans in attendance. My only real complaint about the performance was that 45 minutes just wasn’t enough stage time for them, they deserved a full hour, hell maybe even an hour and half but they will have this time soon because they have a headlining tour coming in October that should not be missed. Filter is back and better than ever with their current line up, be sure to catch them on tour with STP or this Fall at a venue near you.
From this moment forward we will put the past few months of musical drama behind us because Stone Temple Pilots has been essentially reborn into what is really a true rock super group with the addition of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. Stepping into a band this late into a career is risky thing to do and filling the shoes of the previous singer (whose name needs not to be mentioned) was not going to be an easy thing for Chester to do but he knew this when he accepted the position. Fans who have seen STP in the previous few years prior to this current formation had voiced mixed feelings about the performances calling the shows “sloppy,” “drunken,” and even “reserved.” Despite these clearly negative words a lot of fans got offended and hostile when the original singer was kicked out of the band.
As the lights came up inside the Sands Event Center they illuminated a giant STP logo above the drum kit. You could feel the anticipation and anxiety about what was to come building in the crowd. The night began in a legendary fashion with a STP fan-favorite, “Down,” with opening lines of “pleased to meet you” being belted from Chester Bennington in a way they never had been before. By the time the band had hit the 5th song it seemed as though the crowd had put aside any prior reservations they had about Chester being in the band and began to enjoy the rock show.
As the night came to a close on the opening night of STP featuring Chester Bennington tour a few thoughts came to my mind. The first thing I noticed from the very beginning was that Chester made the songs his own, he the right notes that were close to the original tracks but he wasn’t afraid to add in his own section sounds and screams at the right spots. This decision really worked in his favor because he owned the performance. The rest of the band was spot on, they haven’t looked that happy and energized on stage in years. The interaction between all of them, including Chester, was great too. All baggage aside this was a great show and that is what needs to be said about it. Bands change and fans need to understand that it isn’t an easy thing for them either so spewing hatred on the web doesn’t help. Fans of rock, metal and STP fans need to get to a show on this tour because it is a once in a life time tour that you won’t want to miss.
Filter
Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington
Battlecross
I saw these guys for the first time this past summer in their hometown of Detroit, Michigan at Orion Music and More and I was blown away. The amount of talent in that band is unreal, everyone is able to hold their own and no one over powers the other. This time seeing them it was no different, they are an exciting mesh of thrash and metal that definitely draws people from a couple different crowds. During the third song frontman, Kyle Gunther took a minuet to slow down and talk about the next song they were going to play about his son, Kaleb, it was a nice personal touch from a heavy band and really allowed the crowd to make that connection.
Motionless in White
Now this is a band I have seen a couple times and every time they are so much fun to watch and photograph, but I have never really been a fan of their music. While their style just isn’t for me, their onstage persona draws a lot of people in and keeps them interested. From their eccentric outfits to their make up, these guys know how to attract a crowd. At first I was shocked that they were included on the Mayhem fest line up, the first couple of times I saw them was at Warped Tour and I wasn’t sure if the Mayhem crowd would be as accepting of them. They ended up having one of the largest crowds of the day on side stage, these guys came out and killed it. I was thoroughly impressed.
Butcher Babies
By now I am pretty sure everyone has heard of the playboy models turned heavy metal front women, but this was my first time actually seeing them. These ladies obviously have a huge draw coming out in tiny shorts and reviling leather tops, even I couldn’t stop watching. As far as their music, its no question these ladies are talented but aside from watching them run around in skimpy outfits I couldn’t even force myself to be interested in their set. Their music just wasn’t on par with the other bands preforming that day, they have the gimmick down, now they need to concentrate on their songs.
Machine Head
Machine Head is one of those bands I am always happy to see on a line up, these guys come out and tare up whatever stage they are put on. Frontman Robb Flynn is so charismatic on stage, he comes out and takes charge of the crowd. Guitarist, Phil Demmel comes onstage and just shreds the entire set, he gets in your face and really makes sure the crowd is a part of the action. These guys have been going strong for over 20 years and they show no signs of slowing down.
Children of Bodom
This is actually my first time seeing these guys and while they sounded phenomenal, they weren’t quite what I was expecting. I feel like Children of Bodom has this heavy persona, and I though in their live show that would come across a little more than it did. Like I said they sounded great, if I had to review them strictly on their sound they would get 5 stars, unfortunately they just didn’t show up the way I wanted them to. Their set was actually relatively boring in comparison to some of the other acts who were preforming at this festival. As I said this was my first time seeing them, it is possible they just don’t translate as well on a larger stage, I hope to see them agin in a club setting.
Amon Amarth
Hailing from Sweden I can honestly say I have never even heard of Amon Amarth until I walked into the photo pit, but they definitely left an impression on me and I’m sure everyone else in the crowd. Their stage was set with a large viking ship as the center piece for their set. They utilized the ship as much as possible making rounds running up and down the sides and stopping to shred towards the top of the ship. This was definitely a fun show to watch and be a part of, these guys absolutely tore up the stage, I am looking forward to seeing them again.
Mastodon
Again this was one of those bands I had expected more from, especially as a main stage act but they fell short. It just seemed like there was no effort put forth, they just stood at the mic stands going through the motions. I don’t expect every band to bring a viking ship on stage or wear crazy outfits in hopes to entertain, but interaction is what people come to these shows for and it just seemed like that was severely lacking.
Five Finger Death Punch
Every time I see these guys they kill it. Ivan Moody immediately gets the crowd on their feet and into the set, he is a hard ass but he truly cares about his fans. In the past he has grabbed kids out of the crowd and brought them on stage to rock out with them for a couple songs. Jason Hook likes to get down and in your face, he is another one who has great interactions with his fans, he likes to make faces at people, sometimes make a deeper connection and personally hand out guitar picks. I have watched these guys grow so much in the past 3 years and they have been touring relentlessly to get where they are and they deserve every second.
Rob Zombie
This guy knows what he is doing, he is so theatrical and his movies go hand in hand with his live performances. I don’t think I have seen so many props used in the course of one set before, large props, ones he rides all around the stage. But every member of this band is so talented, John 5 absolutely shreds on the guitar, he is such a presence on stage and always delivers. Keeping with the theatrical theme, all these guys have elaborate outfits and face masks on. The biggest disappointment for me was how short the set was, he played for just about an hour, for a headliner I was expecting about an hour and a half. Regardless these guys are a great live show, definitely something to check out if you have never seen Rob Zombie before.
Battlecross
Motionless in White
Butcher Babies
Machine Head
Children Of Bodom
Amon Amarth
Mastodon
Five Finger Death Punch
Rob Zombie
Photographs and Review by Christa Rae Settle.
Tiny girls bedazzled in sequin attire holding posters for the headlining act of the evening poured into the Warner Theater accompanied by their parents. All of the girls had excitement sparkling in their eyes, as for many of them, this was to be their first concert. They talked amongst each other, speculating what the set would be like. There was no questioning the love these fans have for 20 year old Bridgit Mendler – star of the hit Disney Channel show Good Luck Charlie and a breakout pop sensation.
Opening her set with “Hurricane,” her latest hit single from her debut album Hello My Name Is…, drove her fans crazy, causing the majority of them to rush the stage. Bridgit shook many of their hands until it got too crowded and unsafe for the little ones. Bridgit worried about the really little girls who were getting lost in the huge crowd and told everyone “let’s have a seat party!” They all returned to their seats looking a bit disappointed but thrilled that they got to shake her hand and be so close to one of their idols. The Warner Theater is definitely not the kind of venue that allows for the crowd to form in front of the stage.
With Washington, D.C. being Bridgit’s hometown, this stop on Bridgit’s summer tour was a special one. She mentioned that she had family members in the audience, as well as old childhood friends she had since she was 2 years old. There were also fans in the audience who had signs reading “I go to Lafayette Elementary School!” which is the elementary school in Washington, D.C. that Bridgit attended until she was 8 years old and moved to California to pursue her career. Bridgit pointed out the signs and the girls who were holding them saying, “I went there! It’s such a good place!”
Bridgit’s powerhouse vocals are unique, and her style of singing is often compared to artists like Karmin, Cher Lloyd and Lily Allen while the music is closely related to Natasha Bedingfield’s sound. Bridgit is very passionate about music and is currently learning how to play the keytar, which she showed off a little bit of what she has learned during one of the songs in her set. Her set contained songs off of her debut album like “Blonde,” “Top of the World,” and “Forgot to Laugh.” Her songs often contain catchy choruses and very sassy rap solos. Bridgit and her band also performed acoustic covers of a couple of her favorite songs, “Starry Eyed” by Ellie Goulding and “Animal” by Neon Trees. I thought these were very bold choices of songs to choose to cover, since they both contain very unique vocals, but Bridgit rocked them. She put so much energy into each song, as she often twirled around the stage and interacted with her bandmates.
During the downtime between songs, Bridgit interacted with the audience. She often pointed out fans in the audience, especially those who had made the most impressive signs to welcome the singer back to her hometown. It was refreshing to see such a down to Earth and talented young star being a very positive role model for her fans who range from the age of 4 years old and up to mid-20 year olds. Many parents have become huge fans of Bridgit as well.
Bridgit Mendler is definitely an artist to watch as she breaks the Disney mold and releases her second debut album.
Bridgit Mendler setlist:
- Hurricane
- Top of the World
- Forgot to Laugh
- City Lights
- All I See is Gold
- 515
- Starry Eyed (Ellie Goulding cover)
- Love Will Tell Us Where To Go
- Animal (Neon Trees cover)
- Blonde
- Rocks At My Window
- Ready Or Not
Alex Aiono
16 year old Alex Aiono hyped up the crowd for Bridgit Mendler’s set with his charm and energy. Alex often interacts with audience members while performing. He will point out girls in the crowd and sing right to them. His hype man even brought out a water gun and sprayed the whole crowd near the end of his set.
Alex is a very musically talented young man. He plays the guitar, piano, drums, bass, and ukulele. However, on this tour he only brought out his guitar for select songs. The rest of the time he sang and danced over tracks that his hype man played. While he is a talented singer and dancer, his set would’ve been better if he showcased his talents on the different instruments he plays. Other than that, Alex is fun and very personable live. Alex describes his songwriting to be “high energy, quirky, and straightforward.” He definitely shows that through his lyrics as well as through his personality and stage presence. Alex Aiono is another artist to watch as he writes his own lyrics and is talented on multiple instruments, but he just has to show that to the crowd to stand out from the rest of the solo teenage boy singers and dancers.
We As Human
This was my second time seeing these guys and I was so excited to see them on the lineup this year. At festivals like this it is easy for opening bands to really get overlooked, the majority of the crowd doesn’t normally start filtering in until it gets darker, while that was still the case here, We as Human definitely didn’t get overlooked. Lead vocalist, Justin Cordle has great stage presence, he ran out on stage and immediately got the crowd on their feet. The third song into their set they brought Skillet vocalist on stage to sing “Zombie”. Its great to see bands like this supporting each other, on the road and in studio. I think these guys have potential to do big things and I’m looking forward to seeing them again.
In This Moment
I have seen In this Moment about 4 or 5 times now, and for me they have gone progressively downhill. The band sounds great but I am not a fan of Maria, she is this biggest joke in metal. The first time I saw them about 3 years ago, their show was simple, and they sounded good. Now Maria is more concerned about which direction her hair is flying than the music and it definitely came across in their performance. Then she ditched the mic stand and added a headset and back up dancers… I cannot take this girl seriously. I love when musicians can also be entertainers and put on a great, theatrical show, but when the music suffers and you look more like Brittany Spears than a chick in a metal band it doesn’t translate well. I wish them all the luck in the world but somethings gotta give.
Skillet
This was the first time I was actually able to catch skillet’s entire set, these guys (and gals) really kick ass. I was not expecting the amount of energy every member of this band put into their set. Lead Vocalist, John Cooper is probably one of the most active front men I have ever seen, he made his way around every inch of the stage. Even when he was confined to the mic stand he still made it a point to move and keep the crowd engaged. His wife and guitarist, Korey Cooper is pretty impressive herself and definitely gives John a run for his money. I was not expecting to come into the show and fall in love with their set as much as I did, If you haven’t seen Skillet yet, they are a band you should kick off your bucket list.
Papa Roach
I love Papa Roach, I always have, they consistently put on a killer live show, they sound great and they leave you wanting more. Jacoby is such a talented preformed, he is constantly moving and jumping off of everything he can manage, he also has the stage presence to keep the crowd engaged and having fun. Though I was surprised after hearing about the vocal issues Jacoby has been having recently that the band didn’t pull out of the line up. I noticed he opted out of all of his normal screaming parts and left them for the crowd to fill in, other than that he sounded pretty sharp. The best thing about Papa Roach is they are reliable, I have seen them about 6 or 7 times now and every time I have enjoyed their set and they show up with just as much energy as the last show.
Shinedown
These guys are probably the band I was most excited to see at the Carnival of Madness. I have only seen them once before but I really got into their set and I was looking forward to what they would have in store for their own headlining tour this summer. Brent Smith looks so comfortable on stage, he knows how to relate to a large audience and it really comes through in his performances. Something that he does that I think is really cool is after the first or second song of the night, he stops and tells everyone to look to the person on the right and on the left of them, get acquainted and say hello. I love this, I have met so many interesting people in the crowds of shows I have been to, start conversations, discover people who have similar taste in music or have been to some of the same shows as you, that is half the fun of going! Getting back to Shinedown, they like to go big, and big is never big enough, fireworks, pyrotechnics and carnival performers all joined them on stage throughout the course of the night. These guys are so entertaining, but they also sounded spot on, I am looking forward to whatever antics they come up with on their next tour.
We As Human
In This Moment
Skillet
Papa Roach
Shinedown
We as human
This is a band definitely worth going to see. These guys came out having only a coupe of fans in the crowed and absolutely killed it on stage. Justin Cordle came out with a mission, he was in everyone’s face, all over the stage, in the crowd, he was a ton of fun to watch and everyone was feeding off of his energy. I came in to this show having no idea what to expect but they blew me away, I went home and youtubed their music.
RED
I love this band, these guys hold nothing back, they are one of the most energetic bands I have ever shot. “The twins” Randy and Anthony Armstrong balance each other perfectly, they keep the crowd so involved in their sets, they are constantly making faces at people, jumping into the pit, anything and everything they can do to keep the show as interactive as possible. Despite being a christian rock band, these guys really hold nothing back, between the pyrotechnics and their in-your face style they put on an incredible live show.
We As Human
RED
Sublime is one of those bands who have so much history. When they formed in 1988 Bradley Nowell was one of three founding members, but when he passed in ’96 the band went on hiatus. until 2009 when they reformed with singer Rome Ramirez. Sublime really hit their peak popularity after the passing of Nowell when hits such as “The Wrong Way,” “Sanataria,” and “Doin Time” were released in the U.S. Now Sublime continues to tour as Sublime with Rome.
I was so excited to have the opportunity to cover Sublime with Rome. When the lights went out and they started playing, I was a little disoriented and my first thought was, this is Sublime? They sounded great, very smooth, exactly what I thought it would be. But these guys came out and just stood on the stage and went through the motions, there was very little enthusiasm and even less movement. It was a little disappointing and not at all what I expected. For the light-hearted, reggie – ska style they are know for, I was expecting something completely different. Regardless of the band’s lack of energy, they sounded phenomenal and everyone in the crowed seemed to let go and enjoy the music.
Sublime with Rome
Photographs and Review by Christa Rae Settle.
What’s better than a Matt and Kim concert? A FREE Matt and Kim concert! Matt and Kim, an American indie pop duo from Brooklyn, NY, performed on the Live Stage at Power Plant Live! in Baltimore, MD for a massive crowd this past Friday. Right before the start of their set, balloons reading “Matt and Kim” and “Lightning” dropped from the ceiling of Power Plant Live as the crowd anxiously awaited them to take the stage! Matt and Kim were excited to be back in Baltimore playing a show. They said they love this city’s energy and even shared a couple stories from their last show in Charm City.
Matt and Kim are notoriously known for their quirky personalities and incredible stage presence. This duo performs phenomenally, giving each song one-hundred and ten percent of their energy! Kim often jumps up on top of her bass drum and booty shakes while Matt jumps out of his keyboard stool and stands on top of it. They both interact with the crowd continually. Kim is a fan favorite – many audience members had signs directed towards her. Kim took one from a girl in the crowd that said “Hey Kim we want booty dances”. Kim held the sign up and said, “You’re at a Matt and Kim concert, of course there’s going to be booty dances!” Then a rap song filled the venue as Kim busted out her moves! Near the end of their set, Kim requested for the first few rows to hold her up by her feet so she could shake her booty above the crowd as confetti burst into the air. The duo also threw t-shirts, balloons, and water into the crowd. They also challenged audience members to crowd surf back to the bar. Whoever did well and made it to the bar, got their drink added to Kim’s personal tab. Often pointing out certain people in the crowd, Matt and Kim personally speak to fans and the crowd through the microphone between songs — heightening their performance more by connecting with the people.
This powerful duo brings their personal life into their performance as well. Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino started dating in college, and they decided one day to pick up their instruments and learn how to play just for fun. They had no intentions on becoming a band, much less a popular one! Matt stated, “I’m lucky to have Kim as my partner in music and my partner in sex.”
Matt and Kim are a group that you have to see live at least once, if not every time they come to town! They performed songs like “Let’s Go”, “It’s Alright”, “Block After Block”, “Cameras” and “Daylight” from all three of their studio albums, Lightning (2012), Sidewalks (2010), and Grand (2008). Seeing them live is more like a party than going to see just another concert. Matt and Kim bring it all and then some!
Photographs and Review by Christa Rae Settle.
Since Mixtape Festival was located at Hershey Stadium, which is a huge part of all of the sweet attractions that Hershey, PA has to offer, the performances on stage were not the only thing thrilling all of the attendees. With the festival starting at 4:55pm sharp, there was ample time for everyone to get more thrills before the last night begun. Conveniently located next door to the infamous Hershey Park, plenty of attendees spent the day riding roller coasters – especially since having a concert ticket got you a pretty nice discount on park admission! And of course, there was delicious chocolate to devour!
For those attendees who were more interested in getting more of a fix of this year’s acts, Mixtape Festival hosted an event at noon at the Giant Center called “Rock N’ Jock Broom Ball” featuring New Kids On The Block, Jonas Brothers, and Hanson. During their set that night, the Jonas Brothers mentioned that the two teams were Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas and Taylor, Zac, and Issac Hanson versus New Kids On The Block. Joe stated that New Kids On The Block whooped their butts at broom ball! Who ever thought of putting members of some of the most successful boy bands onto two teams and have them play a ridiculous sport against each other is a genius!
In it’s last night, Mixtape Festival’s lineup was filled with successful boy bands who know how to drive a stadium full of people crazy – New Kids On The Block, Jonas Brothers, Boyz II Men, Emblem3, and MKTO. It also was a monumental night, marking the return of the best selling R&B girl group, TLC. There was a lot of be excited about this night! However, as attendees filled the stadium with excitement, everyone was worried about the storm that was approaching. Throughout the day, the sun was scarce and there was slight drizzling of rain on and off. The sky grew darker and darker, as people’s hopes for the storm to just pass over grew stronger. The rain became a bit heavier just before Emblem3 took the stage and as they were in middle of performing their second song of their set, lightning struck above. After they finished their second song, the members of Emblem3 apologized for stopping the party and told everyone to seek shelter in the inside part of Hershey Stadium below the bleachers. Then, it poured. There was talk that the show may not go on as the radar was showing barely any sign of the thunderstorm clearing. About an hour later, the festival announced that the show would resume where they left off at 7:15pm. Thank goodness THE SHOW WENT ON! What an epic night that would’ve been a tragedy to have cancelled due to weather!
The storm delayed the show by about an hour and a half. Fans were worried that their favorite band would’ve had to cut their set down in order for the show to end on time. No set lengths were affected by the storm! Every band played their full set and had ample time to perform for their fans. Due to the delay, the night’s headliner, New Kids On The Block went on stage at about 10:45pm, just 15 minutes before the festival was originally scheduled to end. The headlining act of the night started strong with hits like “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”, “Block Party” “Step By Step” and “Summertime”. They group started their set dressed in white and black suits, and as the set went on, they gradually removed a couple articles of clothing, as well as a couple of costume changes.
When New Kids On The Block performs, lots of choreographed dancing, thrusting, showing off of abs, sparklers and pyro technics are to be expected! New Kids On The Block, or often shortened as NKOTB consists of Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jon Knight, Danny Wood, and Joe MacIntyre. The group experienced their rise to stardom in the late 1990s as one of the pioneering boy bands. There’s no denying that this group still has the right stuff to top the charts and drive women crazy! A few of the members like Jordan as well as Joey, got down into the first few rows of the crowd to serenade audience members and sing with them. NKOTB was the best band to close the festival out with!
The most anticipated act of the night, TLC, was the second to last act of the night. TLC, which originally consisted of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, achieved their success in the early 1990s after the release of Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, their debut album. TLC had been ranked by Billboard as one of the greatest music trios and the group went on to receive tons of awards as they quickly climbed to the top of the charts. On VH1’s 2012 list of 100 Greatest Women in Music, TLC ranked 12th as well as ranked the number one all girl group. Many fans in attendance of Mixtape Festival spoke about how TLC were on their mixtapes back in the 90s, as well as one stating that TLC was their first mixtape. Unfortunately at their peek of stardom, Lisa passed in Honduras in a car accident. The group had been working on recording their fourth album 3D. Seven months after Lisa’s passing 3D was released. Since her passing, the group has performed with a variety of ways to preserve Lisa’s presence, including performing with the track of Lisa’s vocals as they did at Mixtape Festival this year. There was a buzz going around the festival that Lil Mama would perform in place of Lisa, and Lil Mama did make an appearance performing near the end of “Scrubs”. But Tionne and Rozonda clairfied the rumor at the end of performing “Scrubs”, stating that they could never replace Lisa, but they will be continuing with making music for their fans because “…she will always be remembered through us, that was our sister – she is our sister,” said Rozonda.
TLC’s performance of their 1993 hit “Waterfalls” was one of the most magical moments of the entire festival. Tionne and Rozonda dedicated their performance of this song to their late member Lisa, stating that this was one of her favorite songs. They requested for everyone in the stadium to put up any light they had in memory of Lisa. The stadium lit up with lights from cell phones, cameras, glow sticks and lighters.
This night of Mixtape Festival was certainly the night of trios! As the third boy band trio to perform of the night, the Jonas Brothers walked on stage, asking for Hershey to scream the loudest they could before starting their set. Then, the familiar tune of “S.O.S” started, one of their band’s first singles that put them on the map in 2007. Jonas Brothers consists of Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas. This current tour marks the return of the Jonas Brothers as a band together again. The three haven’t been on tour together since their 2010 World Tour. Between then and now, Kevin got married and has his own reality TV show, Married to Jonas, with his wife Danielle. Joe focused on his solo career and released one album titled FastLife and toured as a solo artist. Nick also focused on a solo career, creating the band Nick Jonas & The Administration, together they released one album titled Who I Am. Nick also returned to his Broadway career to star in the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Now, three years later the brothers are back to making music and touring together – and their fans couldn’t be happier! While each of them were successful solo, it’s great that they’re back. Jonas Brothers will be releasing this year their fifth studio album titled V. While they have only released two singles from the album, “First Time” and “Pom Poms”, they performed many new songs to be released on V.
It was easy to be see how Nick, Joe, and Kevin have grown; not just individually but as a band as well. The Jonas Brothers are backed on stage by their full band – John Taylor on lead guitar, Greg Garbowsky on bass guitar (and another musician on stage who makes the girl’s melt), Jack Lawless on drums, Ryan Liestman on keyboards, Paris Carney-Garbowsky on backing vocals, Megan Mullins on violin and backing vocals, and Marcus Kincy on keyboards. Most band members have been touring with the brothers since 2005. After the last chord of “S.O.S” was strung, the Jonas Brothers went right into “Pom Poms” and then “Hold On”. Their setlist was full of a mix of songs from the past six years. Joe also performed his hit single “See No More” from his solo album as Nick played drums; every girl loves when Nick plays the drums, it’s always such a treat! Their set also contained a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin’ Bout You” mixed with “Found”, a song to be released on their upcoming album. During the performance of “The World” another new song to be release on V, the Jonas Brothers tossed several big balloons painted as globes into the crowd in which a few floated throughout the first few sections for the entirety of the song. They ended their set strong with their most popular hit from 2008 “Burnin’ Up”.
R&B vocal trio, Boyz II Men, serenaded the entire crowd as their emotionally beautiful ballads filled the stadium. Rising to fame in the 1990s, Boyz II Men started as a quartet, but health issues caused bass singer Michael McCary to resign in 2003, leaving the current trio Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Wanya Morris. During the beginning of their set, the rain was still a steady shower. About halfway through the set, the sky cleared and the rain stopped for the remainder of the night.
When Boyz II Men perform, they successfully make every girl feel special, even if there are thousands of them filling Hershey Stadium. During their performance of “I’ll Make Love To You” the trio each had a bouquet of roses and threw each rose individually to select girls in the first few rows. They also often point to certain women in the crowd and will look you straight in the eye as they sing to you.
At approximately 7:15pm, with the rain still pouring, Emblem3 returned to the stage after a rain delay of about an hour and a half. Their fans ran back to their seats screaming as they picked up where they left off in their set. This talented up and coming boy band rose to fame on the second season of The X Factor USA finishing in fourth place. Emblem3 consists of brothers Wesley Stromberg, Keaton Stromberg, and Drew Chadwick. Fans made their own Emblem3 swag to show off their love the band, including shirts that read “I’m a Chloe!”
During the remainder of their set, they performed songs from their debut studio album, Nothing to Lose, just released three days after their performance at Mixtape Festival on July 30, 2013. They also performed covers of “Diamonds” by Rihanna and “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Of course, they finished their set out strong with their two top hits “Sunset Blvd” and “Chloe (You’re the One I Want)”. “Sunset Blvd”, an original piece written by Drew, was the song they bravely performed for their first audition on The X Factor USA that made judges Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, Britney Spears and L.A. Reid fall in love with them. To quote Simon, “…I predict big things for you.” There’s no doubt that this pop rock boy band is currently skyrocketing to success!
Mixtape Festival is one of the best summer festivals to add to the mix, varying drastically from festivals like Warped Tour, Firefly and Bonnaroo drastically. With one stage instead of the multi-stages like most festivals, this year at Mixtape Festival allowed for the audience to enjoy each act without having to deal with going back and forth between stages and overlapping set times. Each person had the comfort of having a seat to sit in between sets, whether they were on the floor level or in the bleachers. With so much to do around this location in the heart of Hershey, PA, there was never a dull moment when the festival wasn’t going on, and it allowed for everyone to venture out in the area on their own than staying within a venue or wooded area. The crowd at this festival varied in age, making it a great festival for all ages! This festival is only going to get bigger and bigger, so be sure to make it a yearly adventure in your summer schedules! See you next year, Mixtape Festival!
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